The National Assembly has approved the 2023 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) paving the way for the final phase of the budget-making process for the Financial Year 2023/2024.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Selection Panel has received  a total of 169 applications for the positions of chairperson and six Commissioners, Chairperson Dr. Nelson Makanda has said.

Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing chaired by Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thangwa, today held a meeting with Petitioners on the Petition concerning eviction and demolition of Buxton Estate in Mvita Constituency, Mombasa County.

In the petition, the evictees of Buxton told the Committee there was confusion and deception by the County Government of Mombasa and the developer of the entire Urban Renewal and Regeneration Project, Buxton Points Apartments Limited on matters regarding the land ownership and tenure as well as the nature of the project. 

The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, Chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor, today met with the Petitioners, Mr. James Gakonga and residents of Lamu, Baringo,Nairobi and Kiambu counties on Petition concerning Linda Soka tapping into Kshs. 302 billion football fund. 

The issues raised in the petition are that;

1. The football administration in Kenya has been marred by corruption, maladministration and lack of accountability which has negatively impacted on the industry, leaving the football players without hope in the sector

Lawmakers have launched an inquiry into the maize subsidy programme. This follows the consideration of Supplementary Estimates 1 by the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Livestock chaired by Hon. Dr. John Mutunga.

Members observed that Kshs 7.267B had been spent on the Maize flour subsidy programme of which 4B was paid and 3.267B not yet paid. The Committee had reservations about the Programme due to lack of sufficient information.

The Chairperson of the Public Debt and Privatization Committee Hon. Abdi Shurie yesterday moved a Motion for the House to adopt a Report on the policy and financial resolutions relating to the 2023 medium-term debt management strategy. These strategies seek to ensure that public debt remains sustainable while minimizing costs and risks of borrowing. The Report which was tabled in the House on 9^th March 2023, recommends that the National Treasury undertakes a review of all undisbursed loans amounting to Ksh.

The National Assembly of Kenya is honoring the legacy of Hon. Grace Onyango, who passed away on March 8th, 2023 at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. Hon. Onyango, also known as Nya'Bungu, made history as the first female Member of Kisumu Constituency, paving the way for women in leadership in Kenya.

Lawmakers eulogised her, recounting her life as a trailblazer who achieved many firsts in her political career, including being the first female Mayor of Kisumu and the first woman to sit in the Speaker's Chair as Temporary Deputy Speaker.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education is set to probe allegations of cheating in the 2022 KCSE. According the Chairperson of the Committee Hon. Julius Melly the exercise will be  thorough and will involve an in-depth probe of the whole examination process.

The National Assembly Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee today met to deliberate on the Defence Cooperation between Kenya and the United Kingdom (UK).This meeting, follows extensive consultations between the Committee and key stakeholders including the Ministry of Defence, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, the Director of Criminal Investigations and Laikipia County Government.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised alarm over the disappearance of 125 BVR kits belonging to IEBC before the 2022 General Elections.

Murang`a County Senator Joe Nyutu has sought for a statement from the Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources on the exploitation of water resources in Murang`a County by the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company.

The Senator wants the committee in their report to give the status of the Northern Collector Tunnel project indicating the stipulated time frame for its completion, the construction status so far and the expected date of its launching.

Senator Mohammed Chute of Marsabit County is seeking a report on the status of oil exploration in Turkana.

Through a request for statement that is before the Senate, Sen. Chute wants the Energy Committee to furnish the Senate with information on the status of oil exploration and extraction in Turkana since the discovery of the oilfield in 2012.

Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma has tabled in the Senate a request for statement on the delayed payment of pension to the retired Kenya Railways Corporation employees.

Sen. Mwaruma through his request wants the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to establish the cause of the prolonged delay in payment of pension to the affected retired employees.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has welcomed the visit to Kenya by Italy President Sergio Mattarella saying it was a sign of good diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Speaker Kingi received the president at Parliament Grounds on Tuesday when he came to pay respects to the Mouseleum of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president.

"The visit signifies thriving diplomatic relations between Italy and Kenya under President William Ruto," the Speaker said when he received the President.

MPs have backed a petition by Kituo cha Sheria Legal Advice Centre that calls for President William Ruto to institute a commission of inquiry on cases of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the IEBC to reduce funds spent on paying for outsourced legal services for the Commission.

The Hon John Mbadi led Committee noted with concern that 85 percent of the Sh4 billion pending bills is meant for paying law firms hired by the Commission to represent it in court.

The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) of the Senate has questioned a Sh90 million expenditure by Bomet County to facilitate public participation during the 2019/20 financial year.

In her report, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said that the County breached the law when it spent the money on activities funded through imprests issued to various officers.

The Auditor General says this was contrary to Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015.

Cabinet Secretaries will now appear before the plenary of the National Assembly every Wednesday afternoons to answer questions from by hon. Members. This follows an adoption of the Report of the Procedure and House Rules Committee that amended various sections of the Standing Orders to allow the Cabinet Secretaries to physically appear before the House and answer questions.

The Public Debt and Privatization Committee chaired by Hon. Abdi Shurie (Balambala) on Thursday 9^th March, 2023 tabled a Report on Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) in the National Assembly. The Report provides strategies and initiatives to be undertaken by the National Treasury in financial year 2023/24, to meet fiscal deficits for the period between 2023 to 2026, as proposed in the 2023 Budget Policy Statement.

The Senate Committee on Energy Chaired by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga concluded its two days induction today, by touring Olkaria Geothermal Power Stations.

Yesterday, the Committee held consultative meetings with Energy Sector Stakeholders including Kenya Power and Lighting, KenGen, KETRACO, Geothermal Development Company, Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), Nuclear Power Energy Agency (NUPEA) and EPPRA.